Outstanding Jamaican Speaks About Leadership

A son of Brown’s Town, St Ann, Huntley Brown left Jamaica in 1984, but returns home every year for vacation. His parents, Myrtle and Alpheus Brown still reside in the Garden Parish, as does his 104-year-old grandmother. They are all members of Brown’s Town Baptist Church.

As a Jamaican who keeps a close watch on activities in his homeland, Brown told Flair he is making plans to institute a music programme in every school in the island.

“Music is a powerful force that can be used to transform the nation, so with God’s help such a programme will be a success,” he said.

To implement it, he is honoured to be working with David and Becky Vankoevering. Bob Moog invented the first keyboard and he and David Vankoevering took it to the world. He is also working with Hands Across Jamaica and the Organisation For Strategic Development in Jamaica to implement this programme.

It is so great when everyone can benefit from significant trailblazers. Ambassador at large Huntley Brown is a pastor, lecturer and pianist for Ruth Graham Ministries. Additionally, his music ministry has taken him worldwide and he has performed in Austria, Canada, the Caribbean, China, England, France, Germany, Holland, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, St Vincent, Slovakia, Switzerland and Wales. This outstanding leader is a regular crusade performer with the Billy Graham Association that, over many years, has been supported by this ministry.

Jamaica born, Brown first learned to play the piano from his father, who also played the accordion. His electrifying playing earned him the top Caribbean Gospel Instrument Award and he was appointed the 2009 Musical Ambassador for a television station in Seoul Korea. In 2010, he was inducted into the Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame and is the youngest to receive this honour in the music arena.

When asked what motivated him to become a leader, he responded, “I wanted to make a difference because I was troubled by the leadership vacuum I saw. As leaders it’s important that our words and actions match. Leadership means responsibility. This means we have a responsibility to lead with integrity and not only by reputation. We can’t be saying one thing and doing another. As the saying goes, reputation is based on what others think of you, but character is who you are when no one is looking.”

The greatest service

Brown’s views are somewhat similar when it comes to service and entrepreneurship. He strongly believes, “There is no greater service than helping others. Performing service to the community presents us with a wonderful opportunity to give back.” He is of the view that persons who have more, such as a business of their own, are in a better position to give back to the less fortunate. “Having your own business means you are the boss, you set your schedule and based on your actions, you determine if your business succeeds or fails.” According to Brown, financial freedom is vital to any society. Without it, many communities descend into violence and chaos. Additionally, it is one of the essential elements for community success, because when people are gainfully employed they have no need to resort to criminal activity.

But what does Brown consider to be the secret to his success as a leader? “As a leader I attribute my success to God. I try to consult and rely on God for all my decisions.” He also added that his favourite verse from the Bible is Proverbs 3 verse 6: “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy path.”

As you can see using the ‘What What What Approach’ – What you do with what you have determines what you become Pastor Huntley Brown has used his great ability to play the piano to influence the world in a positive way. This talented and gifted crusader’s humanitarian traits contribute significantly to improving quality of life, and he is also an inspiration to everyone worldwide.

Elaine Grant-Bryan is an empowerment speaker, 2010-11 Georgia Counsellor of the Year, District V1 LSS alumni council member, recipient of the Atlanta Mayor’s Phoenix Award and Governor’s Commendation for contributions to educational & civic leadership. Send feedback and questions to elaine@elainebryan.com.

As we navigate through 2011, let’s continue to adopt valuable tips from successful leaders and entrepreneurs in our daily lives. It has already been established that one of the best ways to learn is from the mistakes of others and from the examples of great people.

Here are some of my personal tips for the new year:

Improve yourself by developing your God-given talents.

As you achieve success, pay it forward by assisting someone to achieve their goals.